Amigos de Bolsa Chica is a non-profit volunteer organization formed in 1976 by a group of Huntington Beach residents to protect the Bolsa Chica wetlands from
development. Located in Huntington Beach in northwest Orange County, the Bolsa Chica wetlands had once been part of thousands of acres of coastal
wetland that had been filled for urban development in the 20th Century. Concerned about the statewide loss of coastal wetlands, the Amigos de Bolsa
Chica pledged to protect, preserve and acquire the Bolsa Chica and surrounding open space.
The Amigos de Bolsa Chica achieved major reductions to the development plans and spearheaded an effort that resulted in the state's acquisition in 1997 of 880
acres of wetlands. The Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve now consists of over 1400 acres of wetland and upland. Upon completion of a large portion of a major
restoration project in 2006, biodiversity immediately increased.
The Amigos de Bolsa Chica has been offering educational programs to inform the public of the importance of preserving coastal wetlands since the organization’s
beginning in 1976. Our cornerstone educational activity has been interpretive walking tours of the Bolsa Chica Wetland. We offer free public tours of the Bolsa
Chica Ecological Reserve that are aimed at all ages, and we offer private, scheduled tours for schools, scouts and other groups. Through these programs,
which depend on the availability of trained volunteer Naturalists, we lead several hundred students through the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve each year.
In 2013, Amigos created a Citizen/Community Science based program, Follow and Learn about the Ocean and Wetlands (FLOW) in order to provide education
about the relationship between the ocean and the coastal wetlands. FLOW Community Scientists conduct weekly water quality testing and analysis, and host
field trips for schools during the school year. FLOW is also offered in conjunction with the Bolsa Chica State Beach’s Junior Ranger Program. Training for
volunteers is ongoing.
With 90% of California’s wetlands lost to urban and agricultural development, the goal of community-based education programs centered on the Bolsa Chica is
to create greater awareness of the state’s threatened biodiversity and offer environmental leadership roles to all. Providing education about the
ocean-wetland ecosystem is a never-ending task. Our current and future plans include:
• Increase our research into the effect of climate change on coastal water quality.
• Address diversity, equity and inclusion by creating ongoing strategies for outreach, recruitment and retention of volunteers.
• Create a public outreach campaign that reaches diverse and disadvantaged communities who are currently not involved with coastal environmental issues.
• Ensure the Bolsa Chica Wetlands are resilient in the face of sea level rise, ocean warming and acidification.
